Video: Jewish Survival Greatest Miracle in History

South Africa's Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein: Jewish survival in the sweep of history is a greater miracle than the Red Sea splitting.

By A7 Staff

First Publish: 3/27/2012, 9:09 PM

South Africa's Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein's message for Passover is that Jewish survival is the greatest open miracle in history.

"To see the Jewish people alive and well and thriving is to witness a greater miracle than even the splitting of the sea," Rabbi Goldstein said, quoting Torah luminary Rabbi Yaakov Emden. The Book of Exodus describes the miraculous splitting of the Red Sea to allow the Jews to cross it while walking on dry land, thereby escaping the Egyptians.

"In our lifetimes, we have witnessed some of the most remarkable miracles of Jewish history," the Rabbi said. "After the devastation of the Holocaust, a rational observer could have said, 'that is a death blow for the Jewish people. They're finished. What sort of future can there be?'"

"Yet within three years of that, Jewish sovereignty is established in the land of Israel. In 1948, on a tiny strip of land, six hundred thousand Jews joined by millions of Holocaust survivors had to ward off ferocious attacks by enemies on all sides - and did so in one military victory after another.

"With great miracles and signs and wonders... The reunification of Jerusalem, the recapture of the Temple Mount. And in the midst of all of these military dangers, absorbing millions of immigrants from all over the world... from Russia, from Ethiopia.

“Building a thriving economy… becoming leaders in technology and medicine – and all fields of human endeavor,” Rabbi Goldstein proclaims, "What a remarkable divine miracle from Hashem before our very eyes!"

But the rabbi was not content to stop there, saying, "The other open miracle of our times is the rebirth of Torah learning.”

“The Holocaust destroyed everything – all of the great yeshivas of Europe...the Hassidic dynasties. Everything was laid waste. What chance was there for Torah learning to revive itself and come back to the world?

"And yet we see the most remarkable rebirth of Torah learning right across the world,” Rabbi Goldstein said.